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University of Leeds: Advertising and Design

Institution University of Leeds
Department School of Design
Web http://www.leeds.ac.uk
Email texpg@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone 0113 343 3716
Study type Taught

Summary

Let your creativity flow as you master the art and business of persuasion.

Effective advertising and design can achieve so much. It can evoke strong emotions, drive people to change, and importantly, be the difference between consumers choosing you over your rivals.

This programme prepares you for an enriching and rewarding career in advertising and communication design. You’ll spread your learning across three core pillars: design, research and business.

In the design pillar, you’ll explore the role of communications campaigns in the design process, gaining a solid comprehension of design principles across specialised areas such as graphic, typographic and digital design.

The business aspect focuses on essential knowledge in consumer behaviour and media planning, enabling you to develop effective communication strategies based on market insights and brand positioning.

Finally, the research pillar empowers you with valued analytical skills. Explore different research methods as you seamlessly integrate them into the design process, informing and evaluating their production with quantitative and qualitative data.

Upon graduation, you’ll have valued industry skills, such as being able to evaluate market trends, analyse brand positioning, and formulate objectives and strategies to address communication challenges. You’ll also have the artistry to generate creative concepts, design effective solutions, and critically reflect on design outcomes.

Why study at Leeds

  • Three pillars of learning: Your learning blends design, business and research, all crucial skills that nearly all organisations need to thrive.

  • Authentic and practical learning experiences: Engage your learning with team working exercises, creative sprints and industry facing scenarios. 

  • Expert teaching: Learn from expert tutors with years of industry experience. Gain insights from our visiting lecturer programme, featuring industry and academic experts, including alumni. 

  • Get industry experience: Get the chance to collaborate with clients and gain consultancy experience as part of our 2-week online Global Industry Programme.

  • Learn in expert facilities: Test your skills with our spaces and professional-grade tools, like our 2D art studio, photography studio, digital print workshop, printmaking workshop, and 3D workshop.

  • Get the tools to succeed: Access free dedicated software such as Adobe Creative Cloud.

Rankings and awards

  • 6th in the UK for Art and Design, Complete University Guide 2026

  • 53rd in the world for Arts and Humanities, QS World Rankings by Subject 2026

Where this degree could take you

Students from this programme have successfully gained employment at both traditional and non-traditional advertising agencies all over the world, and in a wide variety of roles, including brand management, marketing and more. Many also continue with their professional practice. Our graduates have gone to work for companies like:

  • VCCP

  • McCann London

  • LNER

  • BBDO & Proximity Espana

  • ASDA

  • The Union

  • Deloitte Digital

  • United Communications Group Taiwan

  • Wunderman Thompson Portugal

  • Student profile: Simran Kurani ''This particular course has design as well as business, so I basically get the best of both the worlds. Design is ultimately very subjective, and I think the business school brings an objective perspective to it, which helps in my career decisions.''*

Simran Kurani, MA Advertising and Design

Career support

Top 10 most targeted for 10+ years by the UK's leading employers, The Graduate Market 2026, High Fliers Research

At Leeds, we help you to prepare for your future from day one.

Our Careers Service has the global expertise and sector-spanning industry partnerships that, combined, go way beyond simply helping you get a job. They provide you with the resources you need to upskill and achieve the future you aspire towards – even in the face of lightning-paced change.

MA

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